Bell 47G3B1 accident near Albany, Oregon, April 15, 1986
On April 15, 1986 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G3B1 (helicopter), registered N9417A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albany, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1986 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G3B1 · all 47G3B1s on the register
- Registration
- N9417A · no longer on the register · serial 3808
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER APRX 15 MINUTES OF FLT, THE ENG SPUTTERED 2 OR 3 TIMES. AN AUTOROTATION WAS PERFORMED ONTO ROUGH TERRAIN DURING WHICH THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS DAMAGED BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED A HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE TO THE FILTER.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 375 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 283 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,928 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 1, 1986; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S30 Lebanon OR at 4:45 pm
- Destination: SLE Salem OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9417A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.